First Drive: Bentley Continental GT V8 S

A more sensibly opulent driving experience.

Unseasonably cool weather in the hills around San Diego seemed to chill the bones of thin-skinned southern California locals. Rain seemed certain to quench the drought the area suffered and to keep convertible tops up. No matter. The weather seems a distant, trifling matter to the Continental GT V8 S, Bentley's newest variant of the venerable junior line of physics-defying sporting cars. I tested a pair—a coupe and a remarkably uncompromised convertible—on a truly stunning series of hills and mountain passes over several hundred miles. In true Bentley fashion, it wasn't hard to reel in the horizon or seamlessly exceed posted limits. It also wasn't hard to see that this might be the Bentley Continental to get—top affixed, up, or down—if you care about driving.

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"Alex Kierstein"

A little more, but not too much more

The Continental GT V8 is the first rung in Bentley's ladder of sporting opulence, and the V8 S is the new half-step in between the lesser V8 and the W12 model. It brings more than a new consonant to the name—there are chassis upgrades and a smidge more power on hand, in addition to the expected signs and symbols of exclusivity as befitting its station.

At 521 hp, the V8 S represents a 4 percent power improvement over the base V8, and it would take a finely calibrated seat dyno to tell the difference among the powerful gravitational forces associated with its 502 lb-ft of torque. The chassis changes are similarly subtle—10 mm lower, the V8 S has 45 percent stiffer front and 33 percent stiffer rear adjustable dampers. The usual stylistic differences and badging changes alterations out the major changes.

An elephant that runs marathons

At 5060 lbs (5445 for the convertible), the GT V8 S is substantial, and so is its road presence. With the suspension set to its hardest sport setting, the ride is a perfect balance of compliance and roll resistance, and there's no reason to change it to a softer setting (although the velvety-smooth comfort setting is remarkably comfortable, too—there's no wrong answer on a straight road). At around six-tenths, the GT V8 S has truly remarkable chassis control, and it's a pleasure to hustle it on some of the lairiest roads the Santa Ana range could throw at the two-and-a-half-ton road locomotive.

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Press harder, and the immutable natural laws of the universe take the car's weight into account. The steering—slightly too vague already—gets a little spooky. It's a good sign that the car's being asked to do something unreasonable. Understeer at these low limits is sensible, actually. There's no reason to flog a Continental much harder than this on public roads, and the V8 S can handle considerably more than any typical owner might throw at it. Keep things slower, and it links sweepers without drama, all while still being quite stimulating.

A word about the optional carbon-ceramic brakes: They're the largest units ever fitted to a production car, and they are either magical or miraculous—as they should be, for a nearly $14,000 checkbox on the build sheet. Warm or cold, they're progressive and provide wonderful feel. And unlike the hardcore units on some other hypercars, there's absolutely no squeaking or grabbiness. When you've overindulged in the twin-turbo's mind-warping torque curve in a decreasing radius turn, there's no better peace of mind then being able to reel things back in with those enormous binders.

An exhaust note that would make Victorian ladies blush

There's no denying that the W12 Continentals sound kind of unhinged, but the V8 S (our convertible had the optional sport exhaust) sounded delicious, top up, down, or permanently fixed. An active valve keeps volume, burble, and tone deep and rich at most throttle positions, and only high-rpm held-gear roll-ons seemed to break the spell slightly with some odd resonance. But not for long—grab a new gear and punch it, and the disbelief is resuspended. There's no power benefit or weight savings for the option, but the soundtrack is worth it.

Wrestling with physics

It seems like the one place Bentley needs to redouble their effort is steering feel. Balancing the Bentley's weight and power in a tight corner is like Lucha Libre wrestling with physics, and not being able to trust the steering's placement of the front wheels when it counts is like having your wrestling mask fall in front of your eyes. Some spooky moments hitting corners at enthusiastic speeds dampened the enjoyment.

The right one?

There are times when the car in the middle doesn't satisfy. It's not enough of one thing and too much of another. The V8 GT S could easily suffer from this malady, positioned as it is between the entry-level (if you can call it that) V8 and the panzer-grade W12.

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I posit that the V8 GT S may be the perfect Continental, though. It has the right bits lifted off the GT Speed model, it's a smidge lighter, and it's not substantially less powerful. It also sounds and feels at least as special as its bullet-train W12 sibling. Anything more is simply that—more. And if the driving experience matters, then this is the one to get.

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